


A man of his word

by Cecil_Bearbiter



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Crack, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Humor, One Shot, implied YUTABA
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:41:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22771156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cecil_Bearbiter/pseuds/Cecil_Bearbiter
Summary: A mostly-dialogue take on Ren's occasional hubris and how it tends to backfire on him. Regrets were clearly made.Set on the PT groupchat.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kitagawa Yusuke & Sakura Futaba, Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakura Futaba, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 73





	A man of his word

It was another normal day for one Ren Amamiya, who had returned to his hometown for the second time since his last release from juvenile hall. 

He only needed to pack the rest of his belongings from his old home for his last big, official move back to Tokyo for two major reasons :

One reason was for college; Him qualifying for Tokyo University - to his surprise - did a lot of people proud. When Ren first opened his letter from the university and confirmed to his guardian that he indeed made it in, Sojiro unexpectedly embraced his young college-bound ward.

When he announced it to his friends, they were exuberant.

So exuberant and  _ so damn proud  _ of their leader that they all paid a visit to LeBlanc the next day, bearing ingredients for a hotpot. Sojiro had let him take the day off - stating he deserved to celebrate ‘ _ another defining proof that he was no lazy delinquent _ ’.

His second reason for moving back to Tokyo, this time to settle there indefinitely, is so he could be just within jogging distance of his girlfriend - his lieutenant, his second-in-command, his lover, his study partner - the absolute love of his life. Makoto Niijima. 

A summer away from her was a small price to pay for the possible years they’ll get to spend being able to cuddle once again.

The thought of it - all the sweet nothings he could once again whisper into her ears as they bask in each other’s warmth during those late, cold evenings spent studying - set his heart alight.

There was only one last box for him to pack. That’ll have to wait until tonight, he supposed. The Thieves weren’t coming to pick him up for another 3 days, afterall.

Indeed, today was another normal, peaceful, uneventful day. .. Until a package arrived some time during lunch.

Reading that it was addressed to him from Yongen - from Futaba, specifically - Ren brought the package up to his room and immediately did away with all the tape and bubble wrap, only to pause in absolute befuddlement at what he found inside.

His heart raced with anxiety when he pulled it out of the box.

Its black and white spots were blatant, insulting. Its beady eyes seared his soul. Its size reminds him of his own hubris which brought this monstrosity to him in the first place..

His life flashed before his eyes. .. 

It was a buchimaru onesie. From Futaba.

_..fuck. _

[ Later, in the PT groupchat ]

**RenRen :** FUTABA. WTH.

**Alibaba :** hehe. Come ooonn. You lost the bet, Joker.  b(~_^)d

**Ryuji :** ?? huh ? what’s up?

**RenRen :** FFFFFFF--

**Ann :** the hell’s going on here now?

**Momkoto :** Futaba, what did you do?

**Alibaba :** Nothing Ren didn’t bring upon himself.

**Inari :** Ren, is this perhaps related to the bet you made with Futaba during your last online session on Battlecraft?

‘ _ Wait. How does he know about that?? _ ’ Ren wondered to himself. As far as he knew, Yusuke didn’t play Battlecraft - the new game Futaba eagerly pushed on the Thieves’ gamers. Namely himself and Ryuji.

Where and how could the artist from Kosei have spectated that particular session?

**RenRen :** yes..

**Momkoto :** *sigh*

**RenRen :** I’m sobbing.

**Haru the pastel goddess :** What did I miss?

**Alibaba :** You’re right on time to witness something historic, actually. Hehehehe.

**Ryuji :** dafuq’s going on tho??

**_**admin changed Ryuji’s name to ‘Sparky’**_ **

**Sparky :** what?!

**Inari :** You were in that clan raid, Ryuji, if I recall correctly.

**Sparky :** huh.

**Sparky :** yeah.

**Sparky :** .. wait. How’d you know that? You don’t play battlecraft!

It was a secret as well-kept and dutifully guarded as the romance between the Phantom Thieves’ leader and advisor - of which the other members only had a sneaking suspicion of. They kept it to themselves even to this day for fear of ruining team dynamics.

As well-kept and dutifully guarded.. Supposedly. At least, that’s what the team’s navigator thought of her own ‘ _ situation’ _ . But her passive-aggressive crush for the team’s designated hard-hitter and artist was blatant. Not that she’d admit to it.

They weren’t official. No. Not yet, at least. But for the last few weeks, Futaba had taken to bringing her laptop over to Yusuke’s dorm at Kosei, praising their ‘super fast wifi’, and playing most of her online games there. Yusuke, on his part, took to spectating the redheaded tech genius’ gaming sessions during his short breaks from painting, sketching, sculpting. Etc.

Other times he’d dawdle at her room instead, sitting cross-legged on her bed with a sketchpad on his lap, acting upon her express permission to let him draw her in her natural element, all while she  **_taptaptap_ ** _ s  _ away on her keyboard, gaming, coding, or chatting with online friends.

And ever so often, when they both needed a break, in the comfortable privacy of their rooms, they would find themselves napping in each others’ arms.

It was a slow burn kind of love that Futaba eventually grew into.

Yusuke deigned not to contribute to the unfolding hilarity on the groupchat any further. He supposed he divulged too much and would rather not spark the ire of his autumn-haired muse.

**RenRen :** uuuuuuuggghhh!

**Ann :** don’t I get a new name, Futaba-chan? :)

**_**admin changed Ann’s name to ‘Cool Aunt’**_ **

**Cool Aunt :** ..what the..

[ 10 minutes of silence from Ren and a lengthy discussion about chat names later.. ]

**_**admin changed Haru the pastel goddess’ name to ‘Posh Aunt’**_ **

**_**admin changed RenRen’s name to ‘Team Dad’**_ **

**_**admin changed Sparky’s name to ‘Cool Uncle’**_ **

**RenRen :** mom’s laughing. Hard.

**RenRen :** [ video sent ]

It was a short video of mrs. Amamiya, laughing hysterically at her son. Admittedly though, he and the Thieves found the woman’s laugh terribly heartwarming; seeing one’s mother having a good laugh often is, Ryuji would heartily attest.

In this video one could hear Ren ask dejectedly “Do I have to pose?” to his mother before ending the video.

He hands his phone over to his teary-eyed laughing mother then.

**Cool Aunt :** I’m not really sure what’s going on, but I’m kinda curious now.

**Team Dad :** Morgana laughed so hard he fell off the table. .. .

**Team Dad :** .. into his water bowl .

**Alibaba :** LOL (≧∇≦)

**Cool Uncle :** fcking LOL!

**Team Dad :** Morgana says ‘put a sock in it, bonehead’

**Cool Uncle :** WORTH IT!

**Momkoto :** Well, Ren, if Futaba says you brought this upon yourself..

**Team Dad :** </3 :’(

**Alibaba :** Oh God my stomach hurts from laughing

**Alibaba :** and I haven’t even seen the pic yet!

**Momkoto :** wait. Pic??

**Team Dad :** alright.

**Team Dad :** ripping the bandaid right off. 

**Team Dad :** [ photo sent ]

True to his words - albeit spoken digitally during that aforementioned Battlecraft session - he donned the black and white content of the package sent to him, had his picture taken by his still-laughing mother, and sent it via groupchat.

It was a photo of him.. In that Buchi-kun onesie, straddling a chair and posing like a magazine model.

[ briefly, at a private chat between Ren and Makoto ]

**Team Dad :** ADVANCED HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY QUEEN <3

Makoto, who’d been eating lunch at that time, choked. Thankfully, Sae wasn’t home to witness the younger Niijima struggling with her fruit salad and tea.

[ at the groupchat ]

**Momkoto :** REN?!

**Momkoto :** WHAT?!?

**Team Dad :** I’m a man of my word. .. sadly.

**Posh Aunt :** oh my.

**Cool Uncle :** omfg. Dude.

**Cool Aunt :** ditto.

**Inari :** I’m saving this for future reference.

**Team Dad :** *IS SOBBING*

**Alibaba :** HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, SAME

**Team Dad :** I’m dying of embarrassment now. I hope you’re all happy.

[ back at the private chatroom ]

**Makoto :** How’d that bet even come about, if you don’t mind me asking?

**Ren :** I don’t mind :)

**Ren :** I made the mistake of asking Futaba what I should give you for your birthday while we were playing Battlecraft with Ryuji.

**Makoto :** I noticed a recurring pattern wherein most of your bad decisions include either Futaba or Ryuji or both..

**Ren :** haha, yeah

**Ren :** she suggested I send you a photo of me in a Buchimaru onesie. She found one my size online.. Somehow.

**Ren :** it was a whole thing; we got into a lengthy discussion about Buchimaru. And eventually we decided to settle things with a bet that involved the clan raid we were participating in.

**Makoto :** and you lost.

**Ren :** spectacularly. Yes.

**Makoto :** Well, I can’t say I’m not impressed by the turnout, though. 

**Ren :** ..You’re gonna set it as your phone wallpaper, huh?

**Makoto :** yes.

**Ren :** I’m honored <3

Makoto laughed. She suspected that he’d protest, at least lightly, the prospect of having that photo he had just sent in the groupchat being used as a phone wallpaper by his girlfriend.

So as compensation, she browsed through a few of the photos Sae sent her - of the younger Niijima napping in the living room, flanked by books, notebooks, assorted papers in various states of strewn about - and sent one wherein Sae caught her napping on the couch with a buchimaru plushie.

**Makoto :** [ photo sent ]

**Makoto :** Will this suffice as compensation? :)

**Ren :** Oh, I think my heart just skipped a beat.

Their conversation from there quickly morphed into a general discussion regarding college; how her freshman year at Tokyo U. has been so far; what classes they’ll be sharing; and whether or not Haru’s struggling with her own classes.

He also asked if Boss will be tagging along when they pick him up from his hometown. She says she’ll have to ask the old proprietor tomorrow.

She also expressed the desire to invite her sister along - stating that a trip to the countryside would do the former prosecutor well.

He pointed out that they still have yet to confess to Sae about the true nature of their relationship. Though they suspect that elder Niijima already knew. They supposed the countryside, where the former prosecutor would hopefully be at her most relaxed, would be the perfect place to tell her.

Then ever so slowly their conversation devolved into something resembling that of any infatuated couple. ..

Ren eventually did end up setting that photo she sent as his phone wallpaper.

  
  
  



End file.
